Assessment of observed and projected climate changes in Bačka (Serbia) using trend analysis and climate modeling

Climate change is one of the largest environmental issues causing hydroclimatological extremes such as floods, droughts, and aridity. The aim of this study is to assess the observed and projected climate changes in Bačka (Serbia). Detailed trend analyses and possible climate scenarios over Bačka has not been presented up to now. In this paper, four data sets were extracted and calculated: mean annual air temperature, mean air temperatures during the vegetation period, mean annual precipitation and total precipitation during the vegetation period. The presented parameters were obtained from the annual meteorological reports of the Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia. Trend equation based on linear regression, trend magnitude according to the trend equation, and Mann-Kendall statistics have been used for trend analysis of climatic parameters. A GIS modeling of the possible climate scenario was created according to the Beijing Climate Center Climate System Model (BCC-CSM2-MR). Based on the trend equations, positive trends related to air temperature and precipitation variables are dominant. The trend magnitude shows the largest mean increase in all time series related to air temperature during the vegetation period. The highest mean precipitation increase occurs only in two time series. The Mann-Kendall statistics showed significantly positive trends in 11 cases and no changes in 9 cases. According to BCC-CSM2-MR, changes will be especially dominant in case of air temperatures. The expected changes in the total precipitation during the vegetation period show a tendency towards semiarid conditions. The presented results of observed and projected climate changes demand adaptation measures, especially from the aspect of sustainable agriculture.